Chapainawabganj is especially known for its mangoes, and the country's largest mango market is held at Kansat in the district's Shibganj upazila. But although mango trading has begun in other districts, the traditional Kansat mango market has yet to pick up.

A visit found that buying and selling had not yet started, though wholesalers were getting ready. Some were building new wholesale sheds while others were busy tidying up their old ones. Most of the sheds are being built with tin roofs.

Hafiz Ali of the upazila's Muslimpur area has been in the mango trade for about 10 years and has run a wholesale shed next to Kansat market for three years. "Last year I did business worth about Tk 1.5 crore from this tin-roofed shed and earned Tk 2 lakh. I am fixing it up again this year. Part of the tin roof had holes, which I have repaired. I have been busy with this for the past five days," he said.

He added that the mangoes here are the best, which is why mangoes from other areas are being sold across the country as Chapainawabganj mangoes. Kansat's mangoes have not reached the market yet, but the area's tasty, mature fruit will arrive soon, he said.

Mukta Mia was repairing his shed with hired workers in the lychee orchard area beside Kansat market. He told Jagonews24: "The work on my shed is almost done, and I have arranged the money. Now I am just waiting for mangoes to reach the market. But no one's mangoes are mature yet. Still, Kansat market will be in full swing within 15 days."

Mukta Mia added that Khirsapat, Gopalbhog, Lakshmanbhog and Guti mangoes will be the first to reach the market.

At Milik Mor in Kansat market, several workers were repairing broken crates used to carry mangoes last year. One of them, Mithon, said they buy crates broken after several truck trips with mangoes, repair them and sell them again.

Omar Faruk Tipu, general secretary of the Kansat Mango Wholesalers' Traders Co-operative Society, said trade had not really started yet but traders were preparing and it would begin very soon. Two to three vans of Gopalbhog mangoes had been traded that day, and he hoped the market would pick up within 10 days.

Shibganj upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) Abul Hayat said a meeting had been held with people involved in the Kansat mango market, and several decisions were taken: traffic congestion will be tackled strictly; spaces will be set aside for CNG and auto-rickshaw stands; no toll will be charged for crossing the market with empty crates; anyone carrying drugs in mango-laden vehicles will face the law; and law and order will be maintained.

He added that Kansat is the second largest mango market in Asia. The district has mango orchards on 37,855 hectares, and this year's production target is 425,000 tonnes.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.